Water ski courses are used in professional and armature tournaments. Courses include 6 buoys (sometimes 4 buoys) in a symmetrical pattern. A skier needs to turn around the buoys. If a skier is successful, the boat driver shortens the ski rope and the skier repeats the course run. The rope is shortened until the skier is unable to complete the course. The last successful buoy (or ball) is recorded as the skiers score. For example, a skier may run 5 balls at 35 off. Many speed variations are possible.
Training on a course is both difficult and time consuming. The buoys are secured to the bottom on the lake on some sort of anchoring system. However, the buoys often become dislodged and need to be reattached. Such reattachment (a regular maintenance item), is time consuming and often frustrating. For example, if a skier wants to train early in the morning, when the water conditions are often optimal, the last thing such a skier wants to do is perform course maintenance. Ski courses are also expensive.
Also, in some locations a ski course may not be legally possible or even practical. Some skiers without regular course access would like to train for a course.
It would be desirable to implement a method and/or apparatus that may be used to simulate the timing needed for a skier to ski a water ski course.